Marius Borg Høiby, 28 years old, son of the princess put-brit and stepson of the hereditary prince Haakon, will have to face a trial with 32 charges
The fairy tale of the Norwegian monarchy, the one always described as “the most normal and modern in Europe”, today shows its darkest side. It is not the king, it is not the heir to the throne: to end up in the sights of justice is Marius Borg Høiby, the 28-year-old son of the princess Packs-Marit, which the Oslo prosecutor’s prosecutor has indicted with 32 charges, including rape, domestic violence and death threats. An earthquake that risks overwhelming the credibility of the most popular royal family in Northern Europe.
The accusations and the process
According to the accusation, Høiby would have raped four women, in some cases filming the violence with the mobile phone. To this are added episodes of aggression to a former partner, threats of death and road violations. If recognized guilty, it risks up to ten years in prison. The process should start in mid -January and last six weeks.
The defense and reaction of the Palace
His lawyer, Petar Sekulić, claims that Høiby strongly deny the accusations of rape and domestic violence, while admitting minor responsibilities due to the abuse of alcohol and cocaine. From the royal palace, however, no preventive defense: a dry note recalls that “the courts will decide”.
The portrait of the rebel
Marius Borg Høiby has never been formally a prince: he has no titles, he has no institutional duties and does not fall within the line of succession. However, he is the eldest son of the princess put-Marit, he had before the marriage with the current heir to the throne Haakon. For the Norwegian press has been “the weak ring” of the royal fairy tale for years: already arrested in 2017 for the use of cocaine at a festival, linked to dangerous laps between gangs, Hells Angels and Oslo criminal environments, often at the center of media scandals.
The “normal” monarchy under accusation
The Norwegian royal family, headed by King Harald V and Queen Sonja, has always been considered a model of sobriety and closeness to citizens. The princess put-Marit and Prince Haakon have been embodied for twenty years the idea of an open, almost “bourgeois” monarchy. But today, with Marius on trial, the narration risks cracking. And the king, loved at home, assists in silence waiting for justice to write the last word.
